Casablanca: At the Origins of Google Earth

Before Google Earth there was WorldWind and Keyhole (the company that created the application used to develop Google Earth). Before Keyole, there was the movie Powers of Ten(dir. Charles and Ray Eames 1977). Indeed, one of the co-founders of Keyole – Avi Bar-Zeev – recognized the inspirational dimension of Power of Tens in the development of the Keyhole application (see the interview of Avi Bar-Zeev by Jeremy Crampton in Cartographica in 2008). But before Powers of Ten there was Casablanca (dir. Michael Curtiz, 1942). The very first scene of the movie is a cartographic montage that predates several of the zooming capabilities developed more than sixty years later in virtual globes.

The combination of the spinning globe with a zoom effect on a specific point: Paris;

The use of a “jump” effect similar as the one currently available in Google Earth to move from one place (Paris) to another (Casablanca);

The perspective changes from the vertical view (God-eye view) to an oblique perspective of the streets of Casablanca. This last capability resonates with the recent development of street views functionalities.

In other words, in 1942 most of the zooming capabilities of contemporary virtual globes had already been anticipated by cinema.

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2 réflexions sur “Casablanca: At the Origins of Google Earth”

…and before Casablanca there was Windsor McKay (1921) « the Flying House, » a short animated sequence featuring a flight around and over the spinning earth! A tremendously imaginative work. McKay was an early animator; his first film was in 1911. There was an issue of all his cartoons on DVD in 1998.

Thanks Jeremy for pointing us to the flying house. I remember you mentioned this movie in your book « The Political Mapping of Cyberspace. » It is indeed a fascinating animated film with a great virtual globe. (It can be watched here)